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An Update on Grenfell Tower Fire

Greg Hands, Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, welcomes the recent updates on the Government’s response to the Grenfell Tower fire.

Over the past week, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, has announced details of the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, which will be established under the 2005 Inquiries Act, with full powers, including the power to compel the production of documents, and to summon witnesses to give evidence on oath. The Inquiry will be held in public.

The Prime Minister reiterated her determination that there will be justice for all of the victims of this terrible tragedy, as well as for their families, who continue suffering, with the immediate priority being to establish the facts of what happened at Grenfell Tower in order to take the necessary action to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again. Beyond this, the Prime Minister recognised the importance of learning wider lessons from this catastrophe, and the need to carry out inspections of other buildings.

Commenting on the past week’s progress, Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, Greg Hands, said: “Having visited the site of the Grenfell Tower fire on numerous occasions now, and having spoken to survivors, victims’ families, and support workers, I know how important it is to establish exactly what happened and to prevent it from happening again. I thank the Prime Minister for her efforts in setting up the Public Inquiry.

“I trust that those affected by this catastrophe will take some solace from the Prime Minister’s commitment that no stone will be left unturned in this Inquiry, and that we will have an interim report as early as possible.

“I would like to reiterate my immense gratitude to the emergency services, support workers, and the many community volunteers, who have strived to help all of those affected by this tragic fire.”

A detailed response from the Government on the support available to victims and survivors, including re-housing; as well as building regulations, the Independent Expert Advisory Panel, and the Public Inquiry, among other issues, can be found here.

An updated directory of the support available to victims and survivors can be found here.